began studying dance with previous Salt Creek Ballet instructor, Colette Gilbertson, at the Downers Grove Park District, and then at the Salt Creek Ballet Company under the direction of Sergey Kozadayev and Zhanna Dubrovskaya. At Salt Creek Ballet, she performed in many classical ballets such as The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Alice in Wonderland, and Paquita. Ms. Francesconi graduated from Butler University in May 2010 with a Bachelors of Arts in Dance Pedagogy. At Butler, she had a chance to perform in classical works such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Coppelia, Giselle, and Cinderella, along with choreographic works by Marek Cholewa, Cynthia Pratt and Tong Wang. She also traveled with Butler Ballet to Saint Petersburg, Russia, where she performed and took various classes throughout the city. She spent the summer of 2008 at BalletMet’s Summer Intensive, studying with Gerard Charles and Rebecca Rodriguez while performing Serenade, and as a soloist in Colores de Alma. Since graduating from Butler University, she has taught at several studios in the Chicagoland area. She is also a rehearsal mistress and performs as a guest artist in area productions of The Nutcracker. Elizabeth is extremely passionate about teaching and enjoys sharing her knowledge and love of dance with her students.